


Darling, You're the One I Want, in Paper Rings, in Picture Frames

by ChillMachineBroke



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: ARFID, Autistic William Schofield, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma (mentioned), Christmas Tree, Fluff, Food Issues, Home for Christmas, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Past Paternal Death (mentioned), Sharing a Bed, Shutdowns (mentioned), Sibling Bonding, Stimming, This fic is mostly fluff with bits of trauma sprinkled in to make the fluff sweeter, Tom Blake loves William Schofield, Will has ARFID, William Schofield loves Tom Blake, healthy sibling relationship, lots of fluff, tree decorating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28100352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillMachineBroke/pseuds/ChillMachineBroke
Summary: Blakefield Winter Wonderland 2020: Day 15 [Tree Decorating]Will goes home with Tom for Christmas and gets to meet Tom's family.This is in the same au as my first fic which can be readhere. You don't have to read that one first to understand this one, but there are a few references to it in this fic.
Relationships: Joseph Blake/Lieutenant Leslie, Tom Blake/William Schofield
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15
Collections: Walking In A Blakefield Wonderland





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I cannot put into words how great it feels to finally post this.
> 
> This fic is once again dedicated to [badmeetsevil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badmeetsevil), [fromthebeginningthen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromthebeginningthen), [svladcjelli](https://archiveofourown.org/users/svladcjelli/pseuds/svladcjelli), and [Milothatches (WallyWasTaken )](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milothatches/pseuds/Milothatches) this fic literally would not exist without you guys.
> 
> Title is from "Paper Rings" by Taylor Swift

Will heard Tom gasp when the house finally came into view. He spared a glance at Tom in the passenger seat; he was positively beaming, bouncing in his seat like an excited puppy. Will took a quiet, steadying breath and adjusted his sweaty palms on the wheel. 

He wanted, no he needed, Tom’s mother to like him. From everything he had been told, it was clear that Tom utterly adored the woman, and with good reason. She had practically raised Tom and his brother, Joe, after they lost their father when Tom was only eight or nine. 

The Blakes were a very tight knit group and Will had spent the last two weeks, as he and Tom planned this trip, worrying that he just wouldn't fit in. He didn't think they would be unkind to him, but he knew that people often found him off putting and struggled to read him. They wouldn’t be mean, but they didn’t have to like him. 

What if he offended Johanna by not being able to eat her cooking? What if he insulted one of their gifts by accident? What if they thought he didn’t like a gift because his face didn’t show it enough? Oh god, what if- 

“Will, darling?” Tom broke Will from his thoughts. 

“Hmm?” he replied. He didn’t trust his voice and his knuckles were white from gripping the wheel so hard. 

“They’re going to absolutely love you, teddy bear, I promise. They can’t wait to meet you.” Tom put a hand on Will’s thigh and squeezed; firm pressure, exactly what he needed. “I know you’re nervous, but you are just as important to me as they are, they know that. I also warned my mum ahead of time about some of your food restrictions that are more likely to come up, so that she would have alternatives for you for what she could.” 

Will glanced wide eyed at Tom. He hadn’t known Tom did that. 

“Oh, I hope that was okay? I know that you can get nervous having to explain it all the time, so I was trying to help so that you wouldn’t have to be the one to start the conversation this time. Plus, I knew my mum would want the heads up. She loves to cook, and she wants all her guests to be fed, even if that means modifying some recipes. I helped her with ingredient substitutions and stuff like that.” 

“It’s more than okay, Tom. God, you really went to all that trouble for me?” 

“Of course! I promised you that you wouldn’t have to worry about food while we’re here.” 

“I love you so much.” 

"I love you too, teddy bear." 

Will pulled the car to a stop and killed the engine as two young beagles came running up from the house, jumping on Tom as soon as he opened the passenger door. He greeted them with giggles and head pats until he spotted the older beagle trailing behind them at a much slower pace. 

"Myrtle!" Tom squealed. He jumped from the car to meet her halfway, falling to his knees in the grass to pull her into a hug. He buried his face in her fur as she licked at his ear. She seemed to be slowing down with age, but it was clear she still had enough love and energy for Tom. Will grimaced at the grass stains he knew Tom had just given himself, yet he couldn't help but smile regardless. He knew how much Tom missed Myrtle while he was away at school. 

An older woman who could only be Tom's mother followed the three dogs outside, wiping her hands on her apron. When Tom saw her, he gently placed Myrtle back down on all fours (after another quick squeeze of course) and scrambled up to go throw his arms around her. 

Will couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but he guessed Tom was crying, or at least sufficiently teary eyed. Tom regularly became terribly homesick. Just in the last year they had been dating, Will had held Tom and comforted him on days like that more times than he could count. He would do it for the rest of his life if he needed to, he loved Tom more than anything in the world. Which is exactly why he was working as hard as he could to find a way to move the two of them out here, closer to Tom's family after they graduated. Assuming their jobs would allow for it and assuming they actually like him enough to want him around. 

When Tom pulled away from the hug, Will heard Mrs. Blake scold, “Thomas, your pants! Look at those stains!” 

“Sorry Mum,” Tom said, looking at the ground. Will couldn’t hold back a little chuckle as he climbed out of the car. He stretched out after the long drive and followed the pack of Blakes inside. 

The entryway was cozy. There were family photos everywhere in frames of all shapes, sizes, materials, and colors. Will could see several family photos that included a man that Will could only assume was Tom’s father. Photos of him were placed the most prominently, presumably as a way of keeping him close which Will thought was sweet. 

There were also dozens of pictures of Tom and his brother as kids. Tom was adorable! There was one picture in particular that stood out to Will of Tom and his brother playing in the snow. Tom looked six or seven. He was grinning up at the camera; one of his front teeth were missing and his chubby cheeks were red from the cold. Maybe if things went well this year, he could get a copy of one of the pictures to draw as a gift for Tom’s mother the following Christmas. 

“Hey, Mum, is Joe home yet?” Tom asked, breaking Will out of his thoughts. 

Mrs. Blake opened her mouth to respond but before she could, a man who looked like a taller, broader shouldered version of Tom leapt through the front door and pulled Tom into a bear hug from behind. Tom shrieked and the assailant, presumably Joe, let out a laugh as he set Tom down on the ground and ruffled his hair. 

“That’s what you get for getting here last, Tommy.” 

Will felt a little sheepish at that since he was a large part of why they arrived later than they expected. He had needed to double check that they had packed certain things and he was a proud, reasonably cautious driver which had slowed them down. Everything he did was necessary for his peace of mind so the delay couldn’t really be avoided, and he knew Tom wouldn’t blame him for it either. 

“I got here _second _!” Tom pouted.__

____

____

“Tom, there are only two of us, you got here last.” 

____

____

Tom swatted at his brother’s arm, “You still didn’t have to scare the daylights out of me Joe, fuck’s sake!” After a moment’s pause Tom deflated and added, “It is good to see you though,” before pulling his brother in for an ambush-less hug. 

____

“Likewise, Tommy. I missed you.” 

____

____

When the hug ended, Joe ruffled Tom’s hair again and Tom shooed his hands away before attempting to smooth his curls into something more reasonable. 

____

____

“Ugh, Joe, quit it,” Tom grumbled, although the effect of his annoyance was diminished by the broad smile on his face. “Do you want me to introduce you to my boyfriend or not? I mean, unless you want to spend the next week not knowing what to call him, desperately wishing you’d been nicer to me, which is fine by me.” Tom turned his nose up in mock offense for emphasis. 

____

____

Joe blinked a few times before bursting into gut deep laughter. Tom stifled a few snickers before his composure broke and he fell into a fit of giggles beside his brother. Will huffed out a few chuckles himself. He loved seeing Tom that happy. Will’s own laugh was quiet which suited him (according to Tom), but incredibly genuine (which Tom loved). 

____

____

Will hadn't noticed Johanna coming over until she spoke from beside him. “My boys really do bring out the best and the worst in each other, don’t they?” 

____

____

Will hummed his ascent before realizing that he probably should have answered verbally, “Yeah, Tom looks really happy.” 

____

____

She hummed back before adding, “I think you deserve some of the credit for that, love.” 

____

____

Will’s eyebrows raised a bit and he turned to look at her. 

____

____

“He talks about you a lot, dear,” she added with a gentle smile by way of explanation. “I’m sure you already know this, but I’m Johanna.” She extended her hand to him, which he looked at for a moment. “Tom said that some contact bothers you, you don’t have to shake if you don’t want to.” 

____

____

Johanna was so understanding and kind, so unlike his own mother he almost laughed, but he managed to hold it in. He would rather not test the limits of her patience or accidentally upset her by having to explain that he was laughing at his own dark sense of irony. 

____

____

“No, no, it’s okay,” Will said as he shook her hand. “I’m Will,” he cleared his throat, “Thank you for being understanding of everything Tom told you about me.” 

____

____

“Of course, Will,” She said, with another warm smile as she patted the back of his hand with her other hand. 

____

____

They both turned when they heard Tom shriek. He and Joe had moved their antics outside and were currently chasing each other through the grass in the front yard while skillfully dodging the three young beagles weaving between their feet. 

____

____

Mrs. Blake laughed and shook her head, "They do this every year. I already have the stain stick and the first aid kit ready for when they come inside. They'll wear themselves out eventually, but in the meantime, how about I show you to the room I made up for you and Tom so you can start getting settled in?" 

____

____

"That sounds wonderful, thank you."

____


	2. Chapter 2

Although they had only been there a couple of days, Will decided that he quite liked spending time with the Blakes. They were kind and funny and they joked with each other in a way that was never at each other's expense. He felt at home with them. 

Will did finally get the chance to be formally introduced to Joe when he and Tom had finally come inside from the cold and gratefully accepted the hot cocoa that their mother had waiting for them. 

Will had also taken the time to go through the ingredients Johanna had bought and help her finalize meal plans in accordance with what he could eat per her request. 

Will found that he utterly adored watching Tom interact with his brother. It was a side of Tom that Will had never really gotten to see before. There was this sense of comfort that they found in each other and a familiarity that ran soul deep. Tom had told Will once that Joe essentially raised him. Tom didn't remember his father terribly well. He remembered his dad getting sick, but he hadn't fully understood what that meant. Joe on the other hand had already been a teenager. 

Joe had been the one who had made Tom laugh when he was sad, the one who he first came out to, the one who had been there for him the first time he was rejected by a crush, and then again after his first breakup. 

Just like Johanna had said, they brought out the best in each other and together they were a force to be reckoned with. 

But Will, not being one for play wrestling or the shouts of excitement that came with it, opted to watch from a distance with Johanna. As a result, he was getting the opportunity to have some great conversations with her. They would chat over tea while she knitted. It was nice. And when Tom would come back inside, tired and cold, he would immediately find his way to Will's lap and wrap his arms around Will's neck before pulling him in for a kiss. 

Tom had also taken him on a couple of walks through the orchard. They made Will all the more certain of his plan to find a way to move him and Tom out to the country. He adored the peacefulness and the way the wind made the bare branches creek ever so slightly. The orchard was beautiful, even without cherry blossoms, but the wonder on Tom’s face as he looked around the orchard was possibly the most beautiful thing Will had ever laid eyes on.

On the third day of their visit, Tom called Will downstairs and when he rounded the corner into the den, he was greeted with the sight of Tom sitting on the floor surrounded by boxes of ornaments while Joe strung lights on the tree that was still bare when they had arrived. Mrs. Blake was sitting in her favorite chair with her knitting, watching them work and talking to Tom about Christmas memories from when they were little and discussing which ornaments were their favorites. 

Tom’s face lit up when he glanced up and spotted Will, “Oh Will, you’re here! Come over here and help me sort through these; we need to pick out which ones we want to put on the tree.” 

When he was growing up, Will’s mother had always decorated the tree alone. She had glass ornaments that she didn’t trust her children to touch. They also were not allowed to do anything near the tree that might risk it getting knocked into. She kept it a certain way and he will never forget the time his sister accidentally broke one of the ornaments. Will had taken the blame, and their mother’s wrath for her. He had been yelled at to the point of complete shutdown and almost cried in relief when he was _finally _sent to his room so that he could cry in peace where it was quiet.__

____

____

“Will? Are you okay, teddy bear?” It’s Tom’s gentle voice that pulled Will out of the bad memory. 

____

____

Will tilted his head as he processed the question, “Yes, yeah I’m okay, sorry, I just remembered something that happened when I was a kid. I would love to help you sort through those.” Then louder, to the others, “Do you need any help first, Joe?” 

____

____

“Nah, I think I’ve got it. I’m almost done anyway, then I’ll be going through the ornaments with you guys. Besides, I am certain Tom is dying to talk your ear off about half the ornaments in those boxes. He’s got a story for all of them.” 

____

____

_Of course he does _, Will thought fondly, _he’s Tom _.____

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

Will sat beside Tom on the floor as Tom unpacked the boxes, and sure enough, true to form, Tom had a reaction for each and every one. He gasped with excitement whenever he found the little car ornaments with wheels that actually moved. 

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

Joe looked over the first time Tom pulled one out and chuckled, shaking his head before saying, “When he was little, he would spend the whole time ‘helping’ us decorate, driving those things around on the floor. He would pout up a storm when we finally had to put them up on the tree. But sure enough, the next day we’d find him sitting in here playing with them again. We just started putting them on branches we knew he could reach so that he could take them down to play whenever he wanted. He always put them back when he was done.” 

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

Tom blushed a little at the story and tried to cover his face with his hands, but Will thought it was one of the cutest things he had ever heard. Rather than express that in words, Will simply reached for Tom’s hand and pressed his lips firmly against the back of it, which only made Tom blush harder. He knew that stim was for when Will was too overwhelmed by love to put his feelings into words. 

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

“That’s really cute, puppy,” Will murmured against Tom’s hand. 

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

“Thank you, bubs,” Tom responded, voice dripping with affection. 

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

*** 

_______ _ _ _

_______ _ _ _

They worked for a little while longer before Will pulled out a ceramic _Wizard of Oz _ornament with a hole in the back to put a Christmas light in to make it glow.__

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“This is really pretty,” Will commented, “I loved this movie growing up, I liked the tin man a lot, even dressed as him for Halloween one year after I wouldn’t stop wearing a funnel on my head around the house. My sister, Emily, was terrified of the witch though, she wouldn’t watch it all the way through till she was at least twelve I think.” 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

The others all looked up from their own tasks to see what Will was talking about. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Mrs. Blake gasped, “Oh I love that one!” She reached out and Will gingerly placed it in her open palm. She brought it close to examine and delicately ran her fingers over the details in the ceramic. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“This was my favorite movie growing up,” she said wistfully, “My husband gave this to me for our first Christmas together after we got married.” 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Will gave her a small smile when she looked back up at him. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Why don’t you put it on the tree sweetheart?” she asked. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose- if it’s important to you, you should be the one to hang it up.” Will didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he started alternating squeezing his fingers with the opposite hand. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Nonsense, sweetheart, I’d love for you to do the honors.” 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Will did not know how to respond so he thanked her and took the offered ornament in hand before heading over to the tree. He was careful as he slipped the Christmas bulb into place and hung the loop of ribbon on a tree branch. He placed it front and center where it would be clearly visible until they took the tree down, a place of honor, Will thought. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Will, Tom, and Joe continued to work in a circle on the floor while Mrs. Blake made tea and cocoa for them. She had even bought a box of Will’s favorite fruit tea just for his visit. After the drinks she got dinner in the oven before returning to the den and the tree and her knitting. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

While she was still prepping dinner, there had been a knock at the door which she asked Joe to answer. It had been his fiancé, Ellis, who had gotten held up on his way to the farm attempting to surprise Joe. He had originally been set to work through Christmas, but he ended up getting enough time off to come celebrate Christmas with Joe. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

It was clear that Johanna had been in on the plan from the get-go when she brought an already finished extra mug of cocoa. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

With the extra pair of hands, they finished decorating by the time dinner was ready. Johanna had made rosemary chicken for the rest of them and meat substitute chicken nuggets for Will. There had been lovely conversation at the dinner table and plenty of laughter. Will found that he quite enjoyed Ellis’ sense of humor. He was dry, sarcastic, and just a little morbid at times, but it was easy to tell when he was joking because his mouth would turn up at the corners in a ghost of a smile when he was. He would also occasionally bark out a laugh at anything he found particularly funny. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

After dinner, before he headed upstairs for the night, Will snuck a glance back at the fully decorated tree as he passed the den. He couldn’t help but smile. Today had been an incredibly good day. He loved decorating the tree. They had been allowed to put things wherever they wanted, they got to have fun and talk about the ornaments and memories and take their time talking and sharing and goofing off. They got to touch the ornaments and the tree and have artistic freedom. Will surprised himself a bit when the thought suddenly crossed his mind that he was incredibly excited to have the chance to do this again next year. But it was true, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Tom and continuing this tradition had evidently become a part of that desire. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“You coming, teddy?” Tom asked, lightly touching Will’s arm, since he had stopped walking to look at the tree and unintentionally become lost in thought. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah, dove, I’m coming,” Will responded, taking Tom’s hand and heading up stairs with him. 

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _

Will fell asleep that night, perfectly content with Tom’s arms wrapped tightly around him like a koala to fend off the winter chill in the house. As he fell asleep, Will knew with perfect certainty that this was the only way he ever wanted to fall asleep again.

_________ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to give a shout out to lovely people in the Second Devon's Discord server which can be joined [here](https://discord.gg/pa2w4hT). You guys are amazing!
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr as [@chillmachinebroke](https://chillmachinebroke.tumblr.com/).


End file.
